Susana Penner was born April 30, 1925 in Indianapolis, Oklahoma to Frank and Sarah Penner. Susie was the seventh of thirteen children. In 1929, when Susie was a young child, she moved with her family to Kansas. Like almost everyone of her generation, there were things about Susie's young life that, by today's standards, would be considered tough. At the age of 13, she went to be a Nanny. She lived with the family she worked for. And in addition to looking after the house, Susie also took care of the family's two active boys. The family continued to add more and more requirements to Susie's workload - to the point where Susie could not possibly hope to complete all the tasks that had been assigned to her. Also, contrary to the family's promises, the family would not allow Susie to visit her family. Sensing that something was not right, Susie's father came to check on her. The husband stated that they would not allow Susie to visit home because she was not completing her chores. When Susie's father asked which chores Susie was failing to complete, the husband stated that Susie was not milking the cows. Susie's father replied that Susie was not hired to milk cows and that she would be leaving. So, Susie went home. As a young person, Susie held various jobs and gave money to her parents. For example, also at the age of 13, Susie was the main cook at a small family restaurant. Susie continued to be a hard worker throughout her life. On June 22, 1943, when Susie was 18, she again moved with her family. This time, she moved to California along with her parents and several of her siblings: Agnes, Jake, Helen, Martha, Corney, and Evelyn. They took the train from Newton, Kansas. To sustain the family during the trip, Susie's mother brought fried chicken and toasted zwieback. After 3 days and 2 nights they arrived in Fresno. During the journey, Susie - being the oldest of the siblings on the trip - had the opportunity to claim the best seating arrangement. She was fortunate enough to spend the long journey sitting on a suitcase across the aisle from her parents. Although this might sound less than comfortable, it was better than her siblings' situations. The train was extremely busy. In particular, given that World War II was underway, there were a large number of military servicemen on the train. Two soldiers gave their seats to Susie's parents. And, the kids aside from Susie sat on the floor when possible. Otherwise, they stood - trying to stay out of the way. After some time, Susie became very tired and eventually she fell asleep, with her head bobbing as she slept. A solder was sitting next to her. He felt bad for Susie and put her head on his shoulder. When Susie awoke, she was very embarrassed. It's hard to imagine her being so shy. Upon arriving in California, the family stayed in Fresno with one of Susie's older siblings, Sarah, and Sarah's husband Clarence. Susie and the others were at Sarah's for a couple months while their house in Reedley was being renovated. After getting settled in Reedley, Susie attended the Reedley Mennonite Brethern Church with the family. In May of 1948, Susie met the love of her life, Henry Kruger, at a town revival held at the Dinuba High School Auditorium. Sparks must have been flying! Henry drove Susie home in his 1940 maroon Chevy convertible and life was never the same for either of them. On November 5, 1948, they were married at the Dinuba Mennonite Brethern Church. Henry and Susie enjoyed taking trips to San Francisco - and, earlier in their marriage, they visited fairly frequently. They loved the ambiance of San Francisco and they also loved going to the opera and the symphony. Of course, Henry and Susie couldn't spend all their time at the opera. They also worked very hard. After some time, they had a large poultry farm where they worked up to 20 hours per day. Henry and Susie's son, Harold Henry, was born October 15, 1954. Their daughter, Joyce Ann, was born May 21, 1960. From 1966 to 1972, Susie was the Head Cook at Munson Sultana Elementary School. And what a great cook she was! She loved working with the staff there and she also loved the kids. For about twenty years starting in 1972, Henry and Susie worked for the Dinuba Mennonite Brethern Church as custodians. Susie was very involved in church activities. She helped with Sunday school classes, the nursery, and listening to kids recite verses. She also sang in the church choir, which she particularly enjoyed. She helped out wherever and whenever she could. Susie had three grandchildren. Jennifer Michelle Reimer was born December 13, 1982. Wyatt Henry Kruger was born July 29, 1994. And Shelby Ann Kruger was born February 28, 1996. Susie enjoyed spending time in her yard. She also loved cooking and baking. She was the best cook. And she loved having people over. Family and friends were always welcome in her home. She is preceded in death by her parents, Frank and Sarah Penner; her husband of 55 years, Henry Kruger; her daughter-in-law, Lois Ann Kruger; and her siblings, Frank Penner, Sarah Penner, Margaret Buschman, Jake Penner, Mary Entz, Minnie Haley, John Penner, Agnes Wall, and Corney Penner. Susie's life was full of love. And, the world is a better place for having had Susie in it. She will be deeply missed.